Cable Aims to Revolutionize TV Advertising

For cable, advanced advertising looms as The Next Big Thing. Casting an envious eye on the growth of Internet advertising, cable operators have marshaled a broad industry effort to use interactive, on-demand, and addressable technologies to transform, if not revolutionize, television advertising and generate more revenue from their local ad inventory and new service platforms.

Canoe serves as a focal point as the industry rallies around the enhanced TV (ETV) and tru2way specifications for interactive TV applications, dynamic ad insertion for on-demand programming, and techniques for targeting ads geographically as a prelude to addressable advertising on individual set-top boxes.

In October 2008, Canoe is introducing a product to support targeted-zone advertising, with availability expected in the first quarter of 2009. The product will enable programmers to offer advertising positions reaching certain viewer demographics across the MSOs' local ad inventory. Earlier in 2008, the MSO partners, which collectively reach about 53 million subscribers, launched Elections '08 On Demand, offering on-demand clips and political ads.

As the new report discusses, the venture's greatest challenge, meeting the needs of six MSOs, is apparent to nearly everyone involved. Whether the initiative glides smoothly or eventually capsizes, Canoe is cutting a wide wake for technology suppliers to push forward with advertising solutions.

Many other technology companies that support cable infrastructure, ad insertion, interactivity, and on-demand capabilities could also benefit, while those involved in Internet advertising could seek to migrate solutions to TV.

As the report explains, suppliers entering the market must understand the full supply chain of cable advertising and find a particular niche that a solution can fulfill. The successful solutions will be those that are open and flexible, yet unique enough that neither Canoe, an MSO, nor an ad agency can cobble together a similar and less-expensive solution. Solutions must easily integrate with cable and advertising infrastructures and be able to deliver accurate, measurable results which clearly demonstrate a return on investment and reinforce their value. Ultimately, advertisers, agencies, and consumers will determine cable's advanced advertising fate.

The report,Telcos Beware: Cable Takes Aim at Targeted Advertising, is available as part of an annual subscription (6 bimonthly issues) to Light Reading's Cable Industry Insider, priced at $1,295. Individual reports are available for $900. For more information, or to subscribe, please visit:www.lightreading.com/cable.

Understanding the full experience of women in technology requires starting at the collegiate level (or sooner) and studying the technologies women are involved with, company cultures they're part of and personal experiences of individuals.

During this WiC radio show, we will talk with Nicole Engelbert, the director of Research & Analysis for Ovum Technology and a 23-year telecom industry veteran, about her experiences and perspectives on women in tech. Engelbert covers infrastructure, applications and industries for Ovum, but she is also involved in the research firm's higher education team and has helped colleges and universities globally leverage technology as a strategy for improving recruitment, retention and graduation performance.

She will share her unique insight into the collegiate level, where women pursuing engineering and STEM-related degrees is dwindling. Engelbert will also reveal new, original Ovum research on the topics of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, security and augmented reality, as well as discuss what each of those technologies might mean for women in our field. As always, we'll also leave plenty of time to answer all your questions live on the air and chat board.